Journalists barred from IIOJK CM’s event at Soura hospital, stage protest
Srinagar: Journalists have expressed strong resentment against the “utter mismanagement” by the Soura Institute of Medical Sciences authorities in Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir, after being denied entry to an official function at the institute despite being formally invited.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the event, presided over by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, was expected to witness significant announcements related to the healthcare sector. However, the situation took an unexpected turn when members of the press, who had received invitations from the Soura hospital management, were stopped at the entrance and not permitted to enter the venue.
Calling it a “humiliating experience,” the aggrieved journalists walked out of the Institute in protest and accused the management of displaying a complete lack of coordination and professionalism. “This is a new way of humiliating journalists by first inviting them and then disallowing them to enter the venue to discharge their professional duties,” rued one of the journalists present at the hospital gate.
The protesting journalists said such treatment was not an isolated incident, recalling similar episodes during previous hospital-organized events. “It has now become a pattern. Journalists are being made to feel unwelcome and disrespected even after official invitations,” said another senior reporter.
Media professionals asserted that the episode has tarnished the institution’s image, especially since the hospital enjoys the status of a premier medical institute in occupied Jammu and Kashmir. They demanded that the government intervene and ensure that the dignity and professional role of journalists are upheld in all official functions.
